1. Field
The presently disclosed subject matter relates to shift levers for vehicle transmissions and, more particularly, to a system and method for reducing or eliminating vibration and/or rattling in the shift lever assembly of a vehicle transmission.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In most vehicles, a transmission assembly is provided in the drive train between the engine and the driven wheels. A transmission assembly typically includes a plurality of gears which are selectively engaged to provide various speed reduction gear ratios between the input and the output of the transmission. A control member within the transmission is moved (automatically in an automatic transmission) through a plurality of gear ratio positions for selecting the desired speed reduction. As a result, acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle can be achieved in a smooth and efficient manner.
The control member that is located within the vehicle is typically configured as a gear shift or automatic shift lever type structure. An escutcheon body (also referred to as an ESCN body) can be provided to house or at least cover a portion of the gears, linkage, and/or other components of the gear shifter. A slider body is typically formed over the escutcheon body and includes the above-noted shift lever type structure which can be displaced by a driver to change the transmission settings. In one type of automatic transmission, the shift lever is coupled to a lower member which moves within the gear shifter. Thus, when the shift lever is displaced, the slider body moves over the escutcheon body and the lower member engages the transmission components so that the transmission settings are changed. An escutcheon cover may be formed over both the escutcheon body and the slider body to seal and/or cover the components of the transmission assembly.
The escutcheon body typically includes a guide rail on which a portion of the slider body rides when the shift lever is moved. There can be a small gap between the slider body and the escutcheon guide rail to prevent shift load increases due to friction and to generally allow the shift lever to slide freely into various positions.
When the vehicle is operated, the transmission and other components of the drive train of the vehicle vibrate to a certain extent. In addition, vibrations are generated by the vehicle engine itself during operation, and due to operation/actuation of the lever itself. The gap interface between the slider body and the escutcheon body sometimes creates additional rattling and/or squeak noises. These vibrations can possibly be sensed by the vehicle driver in some circumstances and are deemed undesirable noise. To reduce the amount of this undesirable noise, the driver compartment of the vehicle can be lined with acoustical insulating material. However, the vibration and/or rattling at the interface of the escutcheon body and the shift body may still be transmitted through the shift lever and into the driver compartment, thus defeating the acoustical insulation.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a transmission assembly and shift lever system that is inexpensive in construction and which reduces and/or eliminates the rattling caused at the interface of the escutcheon body and the slider.